NHTSA Complaint #10509606 — 2005 MERCURY MONTEREY

MY WIFE WAS LEAVING WORK, WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE HER VAN HOME THE VAN WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR AND KEPT STALLING. I JUST THANK GOD THAT THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN WHILE SHE WAS ON THE INTERSTATE. SHE WORKS PART TIME FOR A FORD DEALER AND WE WERE ABLE TO ROLL THE VAN AROUND TO THE SERVICE AREA. THREE DAYS LATER THE SERVICE WRITER NOTIFIED US THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE PCM MODULE. APPARENTLY THERE IS A KNOWN DEFECT THAT BECAUSE OF A DESIGN FLAW WATER IS ABLE TO DRIP ONTO THE CONTROL MODULE THUS SHORTING IT OUT AND RENDERING THE CAR USELESS. I READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON LINE AS WELL AS DISCOVERING THAT FORD KNOWS ABOUT THIS CONDITION AND EVEN HAS A TSB OUT CONCERNING THIS SITUATION. I CALLED FORD AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED AND EVEN MENTIONED THE KNOWN TSB. THEY WERE NOT VERY SYMPATHETIC AND WOULD DO NOTHING TO HELP ME OUT. WHEN I SAID I WAS GOING TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA THEY INVITED ME TO DO SO. THE NEEDED REPAIR IS GOING TO RUN ME ROUGHLY 800.00 DOLLARS TO FIX. I HAVE TO PUT OUT MY HARD EARNED MONEY TO FIX SOMETHING THAT FORD IS AWARE OF BY THE EXISTENCE OF THEIR OWN TSB. I DO NOT FEEL I SHOULD BE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR FORD'S MISTAKE, THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE OFFERED TO FIX IT FOR FREE REGARDLESS OF BEING OUT OF WARRANTY. WE HAVE BEEN VERY INCONVENIENCED BY THIS BEING ONE CAR DOWN. THERE ARE SEVEN FORDS IN OUR FAMILY AND I HAVE OWNED FORDS ALL MY LIFE. I PREVIOUSLY LOST A LOT OF MONEY ON A 99 WINDSTAR THAT LOST IT'S TRANSMISSION AT 80K. I WILL MORE THEN LIKELY BUY ANOTHER FORD BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT I AM TOYING WITH THE IDEA OF SWITCHING TO ANOTHER BRAND, ONE THAT STANDS BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT INSTEAD OF TURNING THEIR BACKS ON A LOYAL CUSTOMER. OTHER MANUFACTURES OFFER 100K OR TEN YEAR WARRANTIES, WHY CAN'T FORD? I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT MYSELF ALONG WITH OTHERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM SHOULD BE COMPENSATED BY FORD, THEY ARE CLEARLY NEGLIGENT IN THIS SITUATION. *TR